PURCHASE AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT 10.18

EXECUTION COPY

California Steel Industries, Inc.

$150,000,000

6  ¹ / 8 % Senior Notes due 2014

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

dated March 9, 2004

Banc of America Securities LLC

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

CIBC World Markets Corp.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

March 9, 2004

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.

CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.

DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.

As Initial Purchasers

c/o Banc of America Securities LLC

9 West 57 ^th Street

New York, New York 10019

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory. California Steel Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Initial Purchasers named in Schedule A (the “Initial Purchasers”), acting severally and not jointly, the respective amounts set forth in such Schedule A of $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6  ¹ / 8 % Senior Notes due 2014 (the “Securities”). Banc of America Securities LLC, Goldman, Sachs & Co., CIBC World Markets Corp. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. have agreed to act as the several Initial Purchasers in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.

The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of March 22, 2004 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”). Securities issued in book-entry form will be issued in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) pursuant to a DTC Agreement, to be dated as of the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) (the “DTC Agreement”), between the Company and the Depositary.

The holders of the Securities will be entitled to the benefits of a registration rights agreement, to be dated as of March 22, 2004 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), among the Company and the Initial Purchasers, pursuant to which the Company will agree to file, within 45 days of the Closing Date, a registration statement with the Commission (as defined below) registering the Exchange Securities (as defined in Section 1(g)) under the Securities Act (as defined below).

In connection with the offering of the Securities, the Company will redeem or repurchase all of its outstanding $150.0 million 8  ¹ / 2 % Senior Notes due 2009 (the “Existing Notes”).

The Company understands that the Initial Purchasers propose to make an offering of the Securities on the terms and in the manner set forth herein and in the Offering Memorandum (as defined below) and agrees that the Initial Purchasers may resell, subject to the conditions set forth herein, all or a portion of the Securities to purchasers (the “Subsequent Purchasers”) at any time after the date of this Agreement. The Securities are to be offered and sold to or through the Initial Purchasers without being registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “Securities Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder), in reliance upon exemptions therefrom. The terms of the Securities and the Indenture will require that investors that acquire Securities expressly agree that Securities may only be resold or otherwise transferred, after the date hereof, if such Securities are registered for sale under the Securities Act or if an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available (including the exemptions afforded by Rule 144A (“Rule 144A”) or Regulation S (“Regulation S”) thereunder).

The Company has prepared and delivered to each Initial Purchaser copies of a Preliminary Offering Memorandum, dated March 8, 2004 (the “Preliminary Offering Memorandum”), and has prepared and will deliver to each Initial Purchaser, copies of the Offering Memorandum, dated March 9, 2004, describing the terms of the Securities, each for use by such Initial Purchaser in connection with its solicitation of offers to purchase the Securities. As used herein, the “Offering Memorandum” shall mean, with respect to any date or time referred to in this Agreement, the Company’s Offering Memorandum, dated March 9, 2004, including amendments or supplements thereto and any exhibits thereto, in the most recent form that has been prepared and delivered by the Company to the Initial Purchasers in connection with their solicitation of offers to purchase Securities. Further, any reference to the Preliminary Offering Memorandum or the Offering Memorandum shall be deemed to refer to and include any Additional Issuer Information (as defined in Section 3) furnished by the Company prior to the completion of the distribution of the Securities.

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Initial Purchasers as follows:

S ECTION 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Initial Purchaser as follows:

(a) No Registration Required. Subject to compliance by the Initial Purchasers with the representations and warranties set forth in Section 2 hereof and with the procedures set forth in Section 7 hereof, it is not necessary in connection with the offer, sale and delivery of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers and to each Subsequent Purchaser in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Offering Memorandum to register the Securities under the Securities Act or, until such time as the Exchange Securities are issued pursuant to an effective registration statement, to qualify the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Trust Indenture Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder).

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(b) No Integration of Offerings or General Solicitation. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, solicited any offer to buy or offered to sell, and will not, directly or indirectly, solicit any offer to buy or offer to sell, in the United States or to any United States citizen or resident, any security which is or would be integrated with the sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the Securities to be registered under the Securities Act. None of the Company, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act (each, an “Affiliate”), or any person acting on its or any of their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company makes no representation or warranty) has engaged or will engage, in connection with the offering of the Securities, in any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502 under the Securities Act. With respect to those Securities sold in reliance upon Regulation S, (i) none of the Company, its Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company makes no representation or warranty) has engaged or will engage in any directed selling efforts within the meaning of Regulation S and (ii) each of the Company and its Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf (other than the Initial Purchasers, as to whom the Company makes no representation or warranty) has complied and will comply with the offering restrictions set forth in Regulation S.

(c) Eligibility for Resale under Rule 144A. The Securities are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A and will not be, at the Closing Date, of the same class as securities listed on a national securities exchange registered under Section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act,” which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder) or quoted in a U.S. automated interdealer quotation system.

(d) The Offering Memorandum. The Offering Memorandum does not, and at the Closing Date will not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that this representation, warranty and agreement shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Offering Memorandum made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any Initial Purchaser through Banc of America Securities LLC expressly for use in the Offering Memorandum. Each of the Preliminary Offering Memorandum and the Offering Memorandum, as of its date, contains all the information specified in, and meeting the requirements of, Rule 144A. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Initial Purchasers’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than a preliminary Offering Memorandum or the Offering Memorandum.

(e) The Purchase Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles and except as rights to indemnification under the Registration Rights Agreement may be limited by applicable law.

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(f) The Registration Rights Agreement and DTC Agreement. At the Closing Date, each of the Registration Rights Agreement and the DTC Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and will be a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles and except as rights to indemnification under the Registration Rights Agreement may be limited by applicable law. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will agree to file with the Commission, under the circumstances set forth therein, (i) a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to another series of debt securities of the Company with terms substantially identical to the Securities (the “Exchange Securities”) to be offered in exchange for the Securities (the “Exchange Offer”) and (ii) to the extent required by the Registration Rights Agreement, a shelf registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 of the Securities Act relating to the resale by certain holders of the Securities, and in each case, to use its best efforts to cause such registration statements to be declared effective.

(g) Authorization of the Securities and the Exchange Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Initial Purchasers from the Company are in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture. The Exchange Securities have been duly and validly authorized for issuance by the Company, and when issued and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Exchange Offer, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws relating to or affecting enforcement of the rights and remedies of creditors or by general principles of equity and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(h) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(i) Description of the Securities and the Indenture. The Securities, the Exchange Securities and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Offering Memorandum.

(j) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Offering Memorandum, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the

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Offering Memorandum: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

(k) Independent Accountants. Each of KPMG LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission included in the Offering Memorandum are independent public or certified public accountants within the meaning of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

(l) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included in the Offering Memorandum present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The financial data set forth in the Offering Memorandum under the captions “Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial Data” and “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Offering Memorandum.

(m) Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Company and, to the best of its knowledge, its officers and directors are in compliance in all material respects with applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are effective as of the date hereof.

(n) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Offering Memorandum and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under each of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the DTC Agreement, the Securities, the Exchange Securities and the Indenture. Each of the Company and each subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each

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subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than CSI Foreign Sales Corporation.

(o) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. At December 31, 2003, on a consolidated basis, after giving pro forma effect to the issuance and sale of the Securities pursuant hereto and the repurchase or redemption of the Existing Notes, the Company would have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Offering Memorandum under the caption “Capitalization.” There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described in the Offering Memorandum.

(p) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of March 10, 1999, among the Company, BankBoston, N.A., Bank of America N.A. and certain lenders, as amended (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”) or the indenture dated as of April 6, 1999, between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company of California, N.A., as trustee (the “Existing Indenture”), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the DTC Agreement and the Indenture, and the issuance and delivery of the Securities or the Exchange Securities, and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and by the Offering Memorandum (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the DTC Agreement or the Indenture, or the issuance and delivery of the Securities or the Exchange Securities, or consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and by the Offering Memorandum, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and except such as may be required by federal and

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state securities laws with respect to the Company’s obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(q) No Material Actions or Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) which has as the subject thereof any property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, where in any such case there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary and any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

(r) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Change.

(s) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change.

(t) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(l) above (or elsewhere in the Offering Memorandum), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects, except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such subsidiary. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

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(u) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(l) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

(v) Company Not an “Investment Company”. The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Securities will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.

(w) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

(x) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(y) Solvency. The Company is, and immediately after the Closing Date will be, Solvent. As used herein, the term “Solvent” means, with respect to the Company on a particular date, that on such date (i) the fair market value of the assets of the Company is greater than the total amount of liabilities (including contingent liabilities) of the Company, (ii) the present fair salable value of the assets of the Company is greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liabilities of the Company on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (iii) the Company is able to realize upon its assets and pay its debts and other liabilities, including contingent obligations, as they mature and (iv) the Company does not have unreasonably small capital.

(z) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or

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candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character necessary to be disclosed in the Offering Memorandum in order to make the statements therein not misleading.

(aa) Company’s Accounting System. The Company maintains a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(bb) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Offering Memorandum or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change: (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law or regulation relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including without limitation, laws and regulations relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products (collectively, “Materials of Environmental Concern”), or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environmental Concern (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), which violation includes, but is not limited to, noncompliance with any permits or other governmental authorizations required for the operation of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws, or noncompliance with the terms and conditions thereof, nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries received any written communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any Environmental Law; (ii) there is no claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or governmental authority, no investigation with respect to which the Company has received written notice, and no written notice by any person or entity alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental responses costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, attorneys’ fees or penalties arising out of, based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment, of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, now or in the past (collectively, “Environmental Claims”), pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law; and (iii) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, there are no past or present actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including, without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern, that reasonably could result in a violation of any Environmental Law or form the basis of a potential Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or against any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law.

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(cc) Periodic Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review and the amount of its established reserves, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Initial Purchasers or to counsel for the Initial Purchasers shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Initial Purchaser as to the matters set forth therein.

S ECTION 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Securities.

(a) The Securities. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Initial Purchasers, severally and not jointly, all of the Securities upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Initial Purchasers agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names on Schedule A, at a purchase price of 98.875% of the principal amount thereof payable on the Closing Date.

(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Securities in definitive form to be purchased by the Initial Purchasers and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Shearman & Sterling LLP, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022 (or such other place as may be agreed to by